Tied shoe-lace fastener



(No Model.) I

T. E. LEWIS. TIBD SHOE LACE FASTENER- Noi 526,535. Patented Sept. 25, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. LEWIS, OF VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI.

TIED SHOE-LACE FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 526,535, dated September 25, 1894. Application filed April 20, 1894. Serial No- 508,309- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. LEWIS, of the city of Vicksburg, in the county of Warren and State of Mississippi, have invented certain Improvements in Tied Shoe-Lace Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device applicable for attachment tothe drawing-on strap of a shoe, toretain, in a distended position, the loops of the tied lace, and thereby prevent the same from becoming untied, as will hereinafter fully appear.

In the description of the said invention which follows, reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and in which-- Figure 1 is a side view of a laced shoe or boot provided with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a View of the fastening device alone, on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, A represents an ordinary shoe provided with a lace B which is passed through eyelets b, and above the eyelets, attached to ordinary hooks c, and tied in such manner asto form two loops (1.

O is the lace-fastening device, consisting of a clasp 6 adapted for attachment to the drawing-on strap D, an elastic band, f, and two hooks g at the ends of the elastic band. The clasp preferably consists of a piece of wire coiled at the center to form a spring through which the elastic band f loosely passes, and with its ends bent into hooks h of such size and shape as to admit of their attachment to the strap D.

Supposing the fastening device to be in place, that is to say, attached to the drawingon strap D, the loops of the tied lace are passed over the hooks g, the elastic band being stretched to admit of the connection.

The loops are thus held tightly in a distended position and the tie cannot become unfastoned. It will be seen that the elastic band does not place any yielding strain on the portion of the shoe lace which holds the edges of the upper together, but merely keeps the tied lace in a condition, which prevents its becominguntied. Thisfeaturedistinguishes the invention from those fastenings which are applied directly to the lace without being tied, and which serve to give an elasticity to the shoe by the slackening and tightening of the lace in walking.

In having the lace pass loosely through the coiled spring in the center of the spring wire, the elastic band may be drawn to either side to allow of its attachment to the first of the loops without stretching the band, the stretching being accomplished in the securing of the second loop, after which the elastic band adjusts itself so that the strain throughout its length is uniform. By this arrangement the life of the elastic band is much lengthened.

By having the fastening attached to the drawing-on strap of the shoe, instead of to the upper, as is common, the defacement of the upper is avoided, and the substitution of a new fastening for one that has become worn out, is made a very simple matter, particularly when the clasp is constructed as described.

I claim as my invention- A tiedshoe lace fastener which consists of a clasp formed by coiling a piece of spring wire at its center and bending the ends thereof into the form of hooks, combined with an elastic band which is passed loosely through i the central opening of the clasp, and hooks at the ends of the elastic band adapted for connection to the loops of a tied shoe lace, substantially as specified.

THOMAS E. LEWIS. \Vitnesses:

JOHN BRUNINI, S. M. SHELTOR. 

